JD.com plays down founder’s arrest in US

Chinese online retail giant JD.com has insisted there is no basis for accusations that led to the arrest of its chief executive officer in the United States.

In a statement received by The Nation on Monday morning, the company acknowledged that its founder and CEO – e-commerce billionaire Liu Qiangdong, also known as Richard Liu – had been briefly detained in the midwestern US city of Minneapolis over allegations of criminal sexual conduct.

Agence France-Presse reported that records from Hennepin County Jail showed Liu, 45, was arrested late Friday night and released Saturday afternoon.

The company said police there had questioned Liu in relation to an unsubstantiated accusation.

“The local police quickly determined there was no substance to the claim against Liu and he was subsequently able to resume his business activities as originally planned,” it said.

The Minneapolis Police Department, however, said the investigation continued, while declining to elaborate on the arrest or allegations.

Founded in 1998, the Fortune Global 500 company is China’s second-largest e-commerce firm after Alibaba.

It partnered late last year with Thailand’s Central Group as JD Central to launch a retail online marketplace in the Kingdom.